


mashed potatoes and milk runs

by the_problem_with_stardust



Series: Laura Hale Appreciation [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, College Student Stiles, Concussions, Grad Student Laura, Holidays, Misunderstandings, Multi, Roommates, Skiing, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2019-01-06 06:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12205701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_problem_with_stardust/pseuds/the_problem_with_stardust
Summary: “You’re going home with Laura – over Christmas – to meet her family.”It isn’t a question, but Stiles still feels obligated to answer. “Yeah. It’s really not a big deal, Scott. We’re just friends.”Scott snorts. “I’ve seen enough Hallmark movies to know how this ends.”Written for Laura Hale Appreciation Week Day 4: Bickering Besties





	mashed potatoes and milk runs

Laura Hale is an awesome human being. Most of the time. Stiles has no idea how he was lucky enough to end up as her best friend, but occasionally he just wants to lock her in the bathroom. With love.

"... but Stiles, you can't just stay here. It's Christmas."

"I live here." He grumbles. They've had this argument at least once a day since Thanksgiving and it was old before December first.

"Fine." Laura pushes back from the table. Stiles knows they're not done, she'll be ready tomorrow with a new argument and better leverage.

Stiles started out rooming with Scott his junior year. The first couple months were awesome, until Scott met Allison. Really, Stiles was happy for his bro, but after the third night in a row of constant moaning and thumping, he'd had enough.

Laura found him that night on the hallway floor, curled up with his pillow. She woke him up, and reminded him that 'this is New York, people get murdered every day.' and told him to come in

Eventually Allison replaced his name on the lease for 306 and he officially moved his shit across the hall to apartment 307.

So when he walks in the next day to see Laura already sitting on the kitchen counter, envelope in hand, he just sighs and drops his keys into the bowl.

"Is this another intervention?" He asks, rubbing a hand down his face. "Because it's been a long day and I just want to go to bed."

Laura sets the envelope beside her and hops down from the counter. "Stiles, you're my best friend."

He drops his bag by their tiny bistro table and starts rummaging through the fridge. There has to be something that's not growing it's own ecosystem in here. He went grocery shopping at some point, even if it might have been a month ago.

Laura sighs. "I know that your dad going on a belated honeymoon and Scott proposing to Allison are good things and you're happy for them but..." she trails off, looking at the envelope instead of meeting his eye.

It's the sad expression on her face that does it for him. He gives up his search - there was nothing edible in that fridge anyway - and leans on the counter next to her, shoulders brushing. "What's going on, Lo?"

She shoves the envelope into his hands. "I know you've never met my family and you probably don't want to spend the holidays with strangers, but I can't stand the thought of you here by yourself."

He slides the flight confirmations out of the envelope. It takes a moment for him to react.

"Laura Hale, you did not just buy me a plane ticket."

"Well, technically I bought you two." She still looks uncomfortable.

Stiles shakes his head. "I can't accept these."

"They were lightning sale, no refunds."

"Then let me pay you back."

"No. I know how much you make at that shitty job. I'm not going to take your money."

"Lo..."

Laura steamrolls right over his protest. "Nope. You're coming as my plus-one. Cora's bringing Isaac and Derek's bringing Erica and Boyd. I'm not going to be the awkward eighth wheel."

"Then let me at least buy dinner. And clean out the fridge. It's a fucking biohazard."

Stiles takes a hot shower afterwards. He's pretty sure there was an entire new subphylum of microorganisms hiding in the crisper drawers. This is why he lives off of energy bars and sports drinks. His phone rings from the pocket of his abandoned jeans.

"Scotty, what's up?"

"I just got your text. Dude, why didn't you tell me you and Laura were dating?"

"What?" Stiles trips over the bath mat. "We are so not dating."

“You’re going home with Laura – _over Christmas –_ to meet her family.”

It isn’t a question, but Stiles still feels obligated to answer. “Yeah. It’s really not a big deal, Scott. We’re just friends.”

Scott snorts. “I’ve seen enough Hallmark movies to know how this ends.

Laura shouts from the kitchen, "Food's here, babe."

"See what I mean?"

Stiles rolls his eyes so hard, he's sure Scott can hear it. "Whatever. I'll talk to you later."

\---

“Come on, they’re going to love you.” Laura shoves him out of the Uber.

Stiles drags his suitcase out of the trunk and grabs Laura’s duffle to toss at her. How she always packs so light is a mystery.

She herds him up the walk to the cabin, the snow already drifting over the fresh shovel marks. When they reach the porch, Laura pounds on the door. It swings open, revealing a guy that Stiles recognizes from pictures.

“Derek!” Laura tries her best to suffocate the handsome dude, who just laughs and lifts her off the ground.

Stiles stares at him, feeling like he’d been hit by a bus. The guy turns toward him. “Who’s this?”

“Derek, meet Stiles, my roommate.”

Stiles shakes the offered hand. “Wow, you are so much more attractive in person.” And that had not been what he wanted to say at all. Maybe he should’ve slept more than twelve hours in the past week.

Derek blushes and Laura cackles in a way that makes Stiles uneasy. They step out of the cold and into the cheery warmth of the cabin. Stiles is assaulted by a crowd of people, all wanting to hug Laura and shake his hand.

The night is long and full of introductions and stories of past holidays. Stiles can feel the past few days catching up with him. Finals were rough this semester. He’d pulled way too many all-nighters and the fire was warm. He starts dropping off.

“Okay, sleeping arrangements. I’m assuming the guestrooms are Isaac and Cora in one and Boyd and Erica in the other?” Laura looks around the room. “Derek gets the couch and Stiles and I’ll take the attic.”

Everyone murmurs their goodnights and Laura hauls Stiles bodily off the couch. “I told you to sleep on the plane.” She says, dragging him toward the attic stairs.

He hums in sleepy agreement and they shuffle into the room. Stiles’ eyes widen at the beds built into the wall. “These are real-life bunk beds. Today is the best day ever.”

Laura rolls her eyes at his theatrics. “I call top bunk.”

\---

The next morning, the crew gears up to go skiing. Laura digs out some boots from the garage that fit Stiles’ feet pretty well and hands him her personal pink goggles. He struts around the house while everyone else gets ready and Laura just snickers.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come out?” Derek asks for the hundredth time.

Laura pointedly sips her coffee and wiggles her fuzzy sock covered toes. “I am more than good.”

Derek nods, then goes out to join the others.

Stiles is about to follow when Laura yells after him, “Have fun and don’t do anything stupid.”

“It’s just skiing. How hard can it be?” Stiles shouts back. He knows Laura rolls her eyes at that.

After catching up with everyone, Stiles launches into a monologue about the different classifications of snow, power aka pow pow, mashed potatoes, crud. He pauses, “Is that actually a thing or is the internet just fucking with me?”

Cora laughs. “We aren’t really those kinds of skiiers. For us it’s just a bit of fun. Not really anything serious.”

Stiles wipes out his first time going down. He struggles to his feet saying, “It’s alright, that was just a milk run.”

Isaac stares at him like he just walked off a UFO. Erica cracks up. “Oh, I like you.”

The next fall is pretty bad, he skids and rolls pretty far. His head bounces off of something and he remembers that he hates winter. He hates snow, he hates ice, he hates the cold and he wants to move back to Southern California where they don’t have to deal with this bullshit.

“Stiles!” Snow sprays over him, like someone stopped abruptly.

Stiles lifts his head, dazed.

“Damn. I bonked pretty hard.” He frowns. That wasn’t right. “No. Bonking happens during freestyle. I face-planted pretty hard.”

Derek’s eyebrows draw together in an expression of concerned annoyance. “I can’t tell if you’re brain damaged or not.”

“Awww, don’t worry about me. You’ll get wrinkles.” Stiles pats his beautiful face. “That would be a shame.”

Derek looks even more worried. “I think you’re done for the day.”

Right. He shouldn’t hit on straight guys. But sometimes it’s like Derek doesn’t mind. And he’s pretty sure Laura’s mentioned former boyfriends. Stiles makes a mental note to ask again. When the worlds stops looking so strange.

At some point, Derek had unbuckled his skis. He leans down and undoes Stiles’ before helping him to his feet. Stiles sways a little, still dizzy. “You gonna carry me, big guy?”

“No.”

In the end, Derek does end up dropping both sets of skis and has Stiles’ arm slung over his shoulder, supporting basically all of his weight. They stagger up to the house.

Stiles rambles about the biathlon, which he read about while researching ski terminology and thinks it the weirdest sport on the planet. What do shooting and skiing have to do with each other? How do you even score that? Do they shoot while they’re on the skis? These are important questions, Derek.

As soon as they make it through the door, there is a loud thud. Laura is suddenly in his space, running her hands over him and helping to remove some of his wet gear. She hovers over him while Derek gets their mom.

“I should have known not to let you go out on your own after the stairs incident last year.”

Stiles groans at the memory. His right wrist was out of commission for _months_. It was awful.

Mrs. Hale, who is actually Dr. Hale, comes and diagnoses him with a mild concussion. She tells him to rest, stay away from bright screens and let her know if anything changes. Laura gets him set up in the living room in front of the fire. She buries him in blankets and brings him some of the hot chocolate her dad started making when he heard them come in.

It takes Stiles a while to realize that Derek had disappeared.

“He went back for the skis.”

Stiles frowns. “I think he hates me.”

“Nah, just give him time to warm up to you,” Laura reassures him.

\---

The next day, Stiles is feeling a lot better. Dr. Hale - Talia - checked on him several times that night and cleared him to join the others for a movie marathon day.

Laura and Stiles end up curled together on the couch so Laura can fuss over him better. Stiles just rolls his eyes. “Oh my god, _Laura_. Doc said I was fine.”

“Rent’s expensive. I just want to make sure I don’t have to find another roommate.” She tucks another blanket around them.

Stiles rolls his eyes. “Whatever. You love me.”

They’re interrupted by Derek, who stalks into the room, snowflakes still melting in his hair. He drops down next to Cora on the loveseat, which is the only available spot. Isaac is sprawled over the chair and Erica and Boyd have built a comfy looking blanket nest on the floor.

“Hey, Derek,” Stiles says. Laura sighs. She knows where this is going. “If you were a tree, you’d be an evergreen, because I bet you look this good all year round.” He wiggles his eyebrows at Derek. Instead of blushing and looking away this time, Derek looks furious.

“Can I speak with you a moment?”

Stiles frowns, but follows him out of the room. They tug on their boots and venture out into the snow. Derek probably isn’t bothered by the cold but Stiles hates it. Living in New York has actually made his loathing for winter worse.

They follow the shoveled path out towards the woodshed. Derek finally stops when they can’t be seen or heard from the house. Stiles worries for a moment that he’s going to murder him out here. That would be bad.

Derek crosses his arms and growls out, “You need to stop.”

“Stop what?” Stiles asks, wondering if maybe the concussion had scrambled his brain.

“Hitting on me in front of my family.”

Stiles blinks. “Laura said you weren’t one of those guys.”

“What?”

“Homophobic? Insecure in your masculinity?” Stiles has more, Laura loves talking about what a great person her baby brother is. If Stiles hadn’t bumped his head yesterday, Laura would probably be trying to set them up right now.

“What are you talking about?”

Derek looks genuinely confused, but Stiles is angry and tired from being kept up most of the night. “For a minute I honestly thought you might like me back. I’m an idiot and I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to Laura.”

“Laura? Why?” Stiles is definitely missing something.

Derek drops his arms and curls his hands into fists. “I’m not going to let my sister’s boyfriend cheat on her!”

“WHAT?” Stiles shouts, the word dampened by the falling snow.

“She deserves better than you.”

Stiles stands still, frozen in shock. Point made, Derek turns to leave.

“We’re not dating.”

Derek snorts. “Laura has never brought anyone here before. Ever. If she brought you, you’re important.”

“She just didn’t want to be lonely this time.”

“You live together! In a one bedroom apartment!”

“I sleep in the living room! We’re just friends!”

“But yesterday…” Derek looks at his feet. “Are you sure? She cares about you a lot.”

Stiles sighs. “She thinks of me as an annoying younger brother. I’m pretty sure she adopted me because she misses you guys.”

They are interrupted by the door slamming and the sound of someone’s footsteps crunching down the path.

“So help me if you two are making out right now.” Laura yells.

She comes around the side of the shed and sees them, not wearing coats, Stiles still tensed for a fight. She looks between them. “This is not good.”

Derek turns bright red.

Stiles just shrugs. “Your brother is very loyal.”

“What?” Laura pulls her coat tight around herself.

“He doesn’t want me cheating on you behind your back.” Stiles elaborates.

Derek ducks his head and scuffs his foot on the icy ground.

Laura takes a moment to absorb that information, then starts cracking up. “Sorry. I love you, Stiles, but you are so not my type.”

“Come on, Lo. You know I’m everyone’s type.” Stiles gives her a flirty look, then realizes this was probably why Derek assumed they were dating.

But Laura just shakes her head and bumps her shoulder against Derek’s arm. “Alright. This is me, giving you permission to date my best friend.”

Derek opens his mouth to say something, but Laura steamrolls right over him. “And Stiles, you have permission to date my baby brother. Be nice to each other, or I will kick your asses.”

She turns and marches back down the path. Stiles looks at Derek uncertainly. “Can we continue this inside?” He’s shivering now.

Derek looks embarrassed, hands stuffed in his pockets and ears flaming red. “Of course, I’m sorry.”

“No it’s okay. She’s your sister. I’d do the same thing for Scott.” Stiles frowns. “Actually I probably would’ve punched me on the first day.”

They crunch up the steps to the deck and Derek pauses. “If you don’t want to flirt with me anymore, it’s okay.”

“Derek Hale.” Stiles straightens up. “I’m gonna flirt with you until you give up and agree to date me.”

Derek smiles. “I don’t think it will be that difficult.”

“So if I asked you to warm me up?” Stiles aims for confident and hits somewhere around nervous.

Derek kisses him, hot and searing. It lasts forever and not long enough. After he pulls away, Stiles is a little breathless.

When they finally stumble back inside, cheeks rosy from the cold, everyone pointedly does not look at them. Laura must have filled them in because the loveseat is now open, Cora tucked in the chair next to Isaac. Laura is sprawled over the whole couch wrapped in a nest of blankets.

They settle on the small couch in a tangle of limbs. Derek is surprisingly comfortable and his sweater is super soft to the touch.

Stiles leans back, letting the warmth seep into his bones. When he blinks his eyes open, Laura is watching him. She winks at him, then grins. Stiles stifles a groan.

He is going to get teased for the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know a goddamn thing about skiing. I’ve only ever been cross country skiing which I am terrible at. Like let’s take the world’s clumsiest person and strap sticks to her feet that should go well. But anyway here is the link to all of the ridiculous phrases Stiles used [[x]](https://mpora.com/skiing/skiing-words-defined-guide-words-phrases-terms-slang-used-world-skiing)
> 
> Come say hello on [tumblr!](https://theproblemwithstardust.tumblr.com)


End file.
